Statutes are laws passed by state legislatures (state laws) and by the United States Congress (federal laws). Statutes are one of the primary sources of law in the United States (sometimes referred to as statutory law) and cover a wide variety of legal topics. Courts often rely on statutes to resolve legal disputes (lawsuits) by applying the relevant statutes to the particular set of factual circumstances underlying the dispute.

Courts generally seek the clear and plain meaning of a statute, and if the court finds a statute ambiguous or “ambiguous on its face” (looking only at the words as written) the court may attempt to determine what the legislature intended in enacting the statute—known as legislative intent.

Related statutes are sometimes compiled in groups and referred to as codes—such as the penal code, the family code, or the code of civil procedure. Statutes may be amended (changed) or repealed (eliminated) by the legislature or Congress or declared unconstitutional (and thus unenforceable) by a court.

In Missouri, as in other states, statutes are laws enacted by the state legislature or by the United States Congress. These statutes encompass a broad range of legal areas and serve as a fundamental source of law, often referred to as statutory law. Missouri courts interpret these statutes when resolving legal disputes by applying the law to the specific facts of a case. When a statute's language is clear, courts will adhere to its plain meaning. However, if a statute is ambiguous, courts may look into legislative intent to understand what the legislature aimed to achieve when passing the law. Missouri has various codes that compile related statutes, such as the Revised Statutes of Missouri (RSMo), which include codes on criminal law, family law, and civil procedure, among others. Statutes can be modified or repealed by the legislature and may also be struck down by the courts if found to be unconstitutional.